Cable ties are useful for quickly and securely retaining together two or more items, for example the conductors in a wiring harness. Several examples of cable ties are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,263,231; 5,440,786; and 5,615,455. In a general sense, many cable ties are essentially an elongated tongue with a tip at one end and a locking head at the other end. A series of ratchet teeth is located on the underside of the tongue. The locking head has an integral movable pawl that is hinged at one side of an opening in the locking head. When the tip is inserted in the opening and pulled through the head, the pawl engages with the ratchet teeth to prevent the tip from being pulled back out of the opening.
When a cable tie is used to hold a cable or a brake line or the like in place against another structure, the cable tie is tightened sufficiently for the needs of the situation. This causes a compressive force on the cable or line being held, which can compromise the cable or line. For example, if an electric or fiber optic cable is being held on the outside of a conduit or the like, the compressive force can pinch or tear the cable, which would compromise the cable's integrity. Also, cable ties are sometimes used to hold hydraulic brake lines in place against the underside of a motor vehicle. Flexing and vibration of the motor vehicle undercarriage causes a variation in the compressive stress placed on the line by the cable tie. This can cause the tie to pinch the line so as to cause leakage, or even a break, either of which is entirely unacceptable.